Rates of assaults, sex offences, break-ins, and sex offences worst in a decade

From a school targeted by vandals 10 times this year, to a business owner barricading his store to protect his family, members of the community are noticing an uptick in crime.

Assaults, sexual offences, break-ins, thefts and robberies are at a 10-year high in the Northern Territory, with the opposition calling for action on “out of control” crime.

The latest police statistics show elevated crime rates across almost all offences for the year to September.

Compared with the average rate of offending over the same period from 2013 to 2022, this year has seen a 62 per cent rise in reported domestic violence assaults, 32 per cent rise in assaults involving alcohol, 13 per cent rise in sexual assaults and 31 per cent rise in property offences.

House break-ins are up 61 per cent, commercial break-ins have jumped 47 per cent, and there has been a 139 per cent increase in robbery, extortion and related offences.

St Joseph’s Catholic College Katherine has had to fork out thousands to repair escalating vandalism.

The school has been broken into 10 times this year. Picture: Supplied

The principal of Katherine’s St Joseph’s Catholic College said the uptick in vandalism at her school was noticeable.

“From when I started seven years ago to now there’s been quite an escalation,” Mrs Antonucci said.

“Broken glass, entering classrooms, throwing stuff around looking for lollies and sweets, breaking equipment like TVs and computers – sometimes we’ve had two or three break-ins in a week.”

Mrs Antonucci said St Joseph’s had been hit 10 times this year, at a cost of thousands.

“It’s another extra cost that’s coming out of the school, the education and the resources.”

Mrs Antonucci wanted to see more support for young people at risk of anti-social behaviour.

“How are we supporting young people in not great circumstances to become good people? Where are we failing? We need people looking at it properly, not just politically, but with heart,” she said.

Katherine school principal Sunniva Antonucci said solutions to youth crime needed to be developed ‘with heart’. Picture: Supplied.

A Palmerston business owner – who wished to remain anonymous for fear he could become more of a target – said there were times he physically barricaded the door to keep groups of youths from entering the store while his wife and young daughter were inside.

He also believed crime was escalating – his store was robbed last year, his neighbour’s windows were smashed, and he said he had been targeted several times since then.

“It feels like it’s happening every month, the same kids every time,” he said.

The business owner said he had tried to train three different staff to help at the store but all had quit because “they were too traumatised”.

“I don’t know what the answer is, how are you going to convince a seven-year-old to find a better path in life? Putting them in jail is making them harsher – I really don’t know,” he said.

Lia Finocchiaro said the opposition planned to ‘take back control of our streets’. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said crime was “out of control” and accused the government of putting “the rights of criminals above the rights of Territorians”.

“In total there has been over 220,000 offences of crime in the last seven years, making it a statistical certainty that you either have been a victim of crime, or know someone who has been a victim of crime,” she said.

Police Minister Brent Potter said all Territorians deserved to feel safe in the community. Picture: Sierra Haigh

“Only the CLP has a plan to take back control of our streets, rebuild the Territory’s reputation and get our economy moving forward.”

Police Minister Brent Potter said “criminal behaviour in all forms is unacceptable and will not be tolerated”.

“All Territorians deserve to feel safe in their homes and their community. I understand the frustration of the community and victims of crime,” he said.

“The Territory Labor government has introduced a number of measures to make the community safer including the introduction of hand held scanners to give police greater powers to detect weapons, improved protection for retail workers by giving more certainty around issuing and enforcing trespass orders.”

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